1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a connector that connects a plurality of tubes to each other, for example, in an infusion line for performing fluid infusion to a patient.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, when performing fluid infusion to a patient, a plurality of tubes are connected to construct an infusion line which is continuous from an infusion bag as a supply source of an infusion fluid up to the patient, and a connector is used as a tool for connecting the tubes to each other. In fluid infusion, with respect to a main line for supplying a main infusion fluid to a patient, another infusion fluid may be supplied from an auxiliary line, and these infusion fluids may be mixed in a connector and directed to the patient. In this case, a connector including a three-way port which can allow an infusion fluid to flow therethrough is used (refer, for example, to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. JP 2010-505551).
The connector includes a housing which has a main line flow path formed therein. A connection terminal to which a plug (tube terminal) of an auxiliary line is connected is formed in a body part of the housing. In this case, a plug housing space (hereinbelow, referred to as a connection side space) which is continuous with the main line flow path is provided inside the connection terminal due to the necessity of connecting a standardized plug thereto.
The connection side space is formed at a position deviated from the main line flow path in order to ensure the insertability of the plug. Therefore, a phenomenon occurs in which fluid (liquid, gas, or the like) existing in the connection side space stagnates in the connection side space. Such fluid stagnating in the connection side space (hereinbelow, also referred to as stagnating fluid in order to distinguish it from fluid flowing in the main line flow path) may disadvantageously cause various troubles, in particular, in medical instruments.
For example, before supplying an infusion fluid to a patient, an operation of filling up the infusion fluid inside an infusion line to remove air therefrom (also referred to as priming) is performed. However, air bubbles (air) may stagnate in a connection side space of a connector. As a result, when supplying the infusion fluid to the patient, the air bubbles remaining therein may be disadvantageously introduced into the patient together with the infusion fluid. In addition, when supplying a high nutritive liquid as an infusion fluid, the liquid stagnates inside the connection side space, and bacteria may thereby grow inside the connector. As a result, the bacteria may be disadvantageously introduced into a patient. Further, when changing an infusion fluid supplied to a patient to a next infusion fluid, if the next infusion fluid is supplied with the previously supplied infusion fluid stagnating in the connection side space, these different infusion fluids may be disadvantageously mixed and introduced into a patient.
In order to prevent the troubles as described above, in the connector disclosed in JP 2010-505551, a wall (fluid flow director) is provided on the main line flow path. Specifically, an infusion fluid flowing through the main line flow path is guided to the connection side space by the wall, and discharge of stagnating fluid is accelerated by the infusion fluid.
However, even when the wall is provided in a midway part of the main line flow path, and an infusion fluid is thereby guided to the connection side space as in the connector of JP 2010-505551, the infusion fluid is mixed into stagnating fluid that is previously filled inside the connection side space, and it is therefore difficult to discharge the stagnating fluid. That is, even if an infusion fluid is simply guided, the guided infusion fluid can affect only a part of stagnating fluid. Therefore, the stagnating fluid still remains left in the connection side space, and the above troubles may occur.
Thus, there is a need for a connector that can efficiently discharge fluid stagnating in a connection side space in a connection terminal from the connection side space with a simple configuration, thereby enhancing the safety of fluid infusion and correctly supplying a desired fluid.